Rat in Scrabble Dictionary

Valid words made from Rat

You can make 6 words from 'rat' in our Scrabble US and Canada dictionary.

• 3 letters words from 'rat'
• 2 letters words from 'rat'

3 letters words from 'rat'

ART 3	RAT 3
TAR 3

2 letters words from 'rat'

AR 2	AT 2
TA 2

Definitions and meaning of rat

rat

Pronunciation

• enPR: răt, IPA^(key): /ɹæt/
• Rhymes: -æt

Etymology 1

From Middle English ratte, rat, rotte, from Old English rætt, as though from Proto-Germanic *rattaz, *rattō (compare West Frisian rôt, Dutch rat), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *reh₁d- (“to scrape, scratch, gnaw”); however, the rat was unknown in Northern Europe in antiquity, so if the Proto-Germanic word is real it must have referred to a different animal. Attestation of this family of words begins in the 12th century.

Some of the Germanic cognates show consonant variation, e.g. Middle Low German ratte, radde; Middle High German rate, ratte, ratze. The irregularity may be symptomatic of a late dispersal of the word, in which case it would not be old. Kroonen (2011) rather accounts for it with a Proto-Germanic stem *raþō nom., *ruttaz gen., showing both ablaut and a Kluge's law alternation, with the variation arising from varying remodellings in the daughters. Kroonen's explanation requires a Proto-Indo-European etymon in final *t, and is hence incompatible with the usual derivation from Proto-Indo-European *reh₁d- (“to scrape, scratch, gnaw”).

Noun

rat (plural rats)

1. (zoology) A medium-sized rodent belonging to the genus Rattus.
2. (informal) Any of the numerous members of several rodent families (e.g. voles and mice) that resemble true rats in appearance, usually having a pointy snout, a long, bare tail, and body length greater than about 12 cm, or 5 inches.
3. (informal) A person who is known for betrayal; a scoundrel; a quisling.
   • 1883, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island

     He’s more a man than any pair of rats of you in this here house.

4. (informal) An informant or snitch.
5. (informal) A scab: a worker who acts against trade union policies.
6. (slang) A person who routinely spends time at a particular location.

7. A wad of shed hair used as part of a hairstyle.
8. A roll of material used to puff out the hair, which is turned over it.
9. (Britain, north-west London, slang, vulgar) Vagina.

10. (chiefly informal) Short for muskrat.
    • 1910, L. W. Pierce, "Muskrats are fast disappearing", in Hunter-trader-trapper, page 70:

      The price of rats began to rise and soon after the marsh froze over, spearing rats began, which was done with a one tine three-eighths inch steel rod, with a wooden handle […]

    • 1929, E. J. Dailey, in Hardings Magazine's Question Box, printed in Fur Fish Game, page 73:

      Where natural marshes, or natural foods are found, are best places for raising muskrats. Louisiana and other southern states raise millions of rats, but they do not bring as good prices as northern raised ones. Delaware and Maryland have famed marshes. Other states are becoming noted for muskrat raising, also.

Synonyms

• (person known for betrayal): traitor (see for more synonyms)
• (informer): stool pigeon

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• mouse
• rodent

Verb

rat (third-person singular simple present rats, present participle ratting, simple past and past participle ratted)

1. (usually with “on” or “out”) To betray a person or party, especially by telling their secret to an authority or an enemy; to turn someone in.

   He ratted on his coworker.

   He is going to rat us out!

2. (informal, intransitive) To work as a scab, going against trade union policies.
3. (of a dog, etc.) To kill rats.

Synonyms

• (to betray someone to an authority): tell on, to finger or put the finger on, bewray

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English ratten, further etymology unknown. Compare Middle High German ratzen (“to scratch; rasp; tear”). Could be related to write. See also rit.

Noun

rat (plural rats)

1. (regional) A scratch or a score.
2. (nautical, regional) A place in the sea with rapid currents and crags where a ship is likely to be torn apart in stormy weather.

Verb

rat (third-person singular simple present rats, present participle ratting, simple past and past participle ratted)

1. (regional) To scratch or score.

2. (regional, rare, obsolete) To tear, rip, rend.

3. Damn, drat, blast; used in oaths.
   • 1904, Rafael Sabatini, The Tavern Knight, chapter XXVI:

     “But, rat me, sir,” cried Foster in bewilderment, “tis too generous—'pon honour it is. I can't consent to it. No, rat me, I can't.”

Usage notes

The verb rat is rarely used in the second sense. In the sense to tear, rip, rend, the form to-rat is more common. Compare German zerreißen (“to rip up, tear, rend”).

References

• The Middle English Dictionary
• The English dialect dictionary

Etymology 3

Noun

rat (plural rats)

1. (military, slang) A ration.
   • 2014, John, Buffoon (page 243)

     With regards to the testing of his product, the initial blood analysis had come back confirming huge, distinctive nutritional superiority for Stewart's military ration pack. Given that the policy of the British Army is to be fully ready for war at the drop of a hat, he was sitting on the potential of supplying new rats for the entire army […]

Derived terms

• C-rat

Anagrams

• 'art, ART, ATR, Art, RTA, Tar, art, art., tar

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Catalan

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central, Valencian) IPA^(key): /ˈrat/
• Rhymes: -at

Noun

rat m (plural rats)

1. rat

Synonyms

• rata

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Danish

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /rat/, [ˈʁɑd̥]
• Homophone: ret

Noun

rat n (singular definite rattet, plural indefinite rat)

1. wheel, steering wheel

Inflection

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Dutch

Alternative forms

• rot (Northern Dutch, dialectal)

Etymology

From Middle Dutch ratte.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /rɑt/
• Hyphenation: rat
• Rhymes: -ɑt
• Homophone: rad

Noun

rat f (plural ratten, diminutive ratje n)

1. A rat; rodent of the genus Rattus, or of certain other genera in the family Muridae.

Derived terms

• bruine rat
• muskusrat
• rattengif
• rattenval
• rattenvergif
• woestijnrat
• zwarte rat

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French

Etymology

From Middle French rat (“rat”), from Old French rat (“rat”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁa/

Noun

rat m (plural rats)

1. rat
2. (informal) sweetheart
3. scrooch

Related terms

• raton
• rate
• rat d'hôtel
• rater

Further reading

• “rat” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• art

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Kalasha

Etymology

From Sanskrit रात्रि (rātri). Cognate with Hindi रात (rāt).

Noun

rat

1. night

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Middle Dutch

Etymology 1

From Old Dutch *rath, from Proto-Germanic *raþą, from Proto-Indo-European *Hret-.

Noun

rat n

1. wheel

   Synonym: wiel

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

• Dutch: rad
• Limburgish: raad

Etymology 2

From Old Dutch *rath, from Proto-Germanic *raþaz, from Proto-Indo-European *Hret-.

Adjective

rat

1. fast, quick

Inflection

This adjective needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

• Dutch: rad

Further reading

• “rat”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J. (1885–1929), “rat (I)”, in Middelniederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page I
• Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J. (1885–1929), “rat (III)”, in Middelniederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page III

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Middle English

Noun

rat

1. Alternative form of ratte

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Norman

Etymology

From Old French rat (“rat”).

Noun

rat m (plural rats)

1. (Jersey, Guernsey) rat

Derived terms

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Occitan

Noun

rat m (plural rats)

1. (Rattus rattus) black rat

Synonyms

• garri

Derived terms

Related terms

• rata

References

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Old French

Etymology

Of Germanic origin, from Old High German rato (“rat”) or Frankish *rato (“rat”).

Noun

rat m (oblique plural raz or ratz, nominative singular raz or ratz, nominative plural rat)

1. rat (rodent)

Descendants

• French: rat
• Norman: rat

References

Bratchet, A. (1873), “rat”, in Kitchin, G. W., transl., Etymological dictionary of the French language (Clarendon Press Series), 1st edition, London: Oxford/MacMillan and Co.

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Romani

Etymology

From Sanskrit रक्त (rakta, “blood”). Cognate with dialectal Hindi रात (rāt) and Punjabi ਰੱਤ (rat).

Noun

rat m (plural rat)

1. blood

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Romansch

Etymology

From Frankish *rato (“rat”).

Noun

rat m (plural rats)

1. (Surmiran) rat

Synonyms

• ratung

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Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *ortь, from the o-grade of Proto-Indo-European *h₃er- (“to rise, to attack”), cognate to Ancient Greek ἔρις (éris, “quarrel, strife”), Sanskrit ऋति (ṛti, “assault”) and Proto-Germanic *ernustuz (“struggle, fight”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /rât/

Noun

rȁt m (Cyrillic spelling ра̏т)

1. war

Declension

Synonyms

• vojna

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Torres Strait Creole

Etymology

From English rat.

Noun

rat

1. rat or mouse

Synonyms

• mukeis (eastern dialect)

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Volapük

Etymology

Borrowed from English rat.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɾat]

Noun

rat (nominative plural rats)

1. rat (rodent of the family Muridae)

Declension

Hypernyms

• nim
• sügaf
• süganim
• tuetaf
• tuetanim

Hyponyms

• ratil
• ratül

Derived terms

See also

• mug
• yat

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Westrobothnian

Etymology

Cognate to Icelandic hrat n.

Noun

rat n

1. garbage, waste, in forest lying twigs, rotten trees and stumps

Source: wiktionary.org

• RASURE, the act of scraping.
  (source: Collins Scrabble Dictionary)

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